“GENERAL 
by jury in civil causes in Scot+ 
land, which, after being once read, 
was ordered to be printed, The 
second reading was moved on 
Feb. 23rd, when his lordship said 
that he felt great satisfaction in 
_ Stating, that the proposed measure 
was likely to be agreeable to those 
for whose benefit it was designed. 
He himself wished that it could 
have been carried further, but he 
was aware of the importance of 
effecting the change gradually, 
and in the manner most satisfac- 
tory to the persons concerned ; 
and if it were adopted even to 
this partial extent, he did not 
doubt that at no distant period, 
they who were desirous of its fur- 
ther extension, would have their 
wishes gratified, 
Lord Stanhope declared hosti- 
lity to the bill, chiefly on the 
grounds of its leaving the order 
ofa trial byjury optional with the 
court, and that the juries were 
only allowed to decide onthe facts, 
and not on them and the law to- 
gether, as in England. His ob- 
jections, however, were not sup- 
ported, and the bill was read a 
second time. 
On Feb. 23rd the house having 
resolved itself into a committee on 
the bill, when the first enacting 
clause was under consideration, 
the Lord Chancellor moved, as an 
amendment, that the words, “ in 
matter of fact,’’ be left out. This 
motion produced the thanks of 
lord Stanhope, and was agreed 
to. After various other amend- 
ments, when the clause relative to 
the jury’s delivering their verdict 
was read, the lord chancellor said 
that it was absolutely necessary 
to have it determined whether the 
jury should act by a plurality of 
HISTORY, [7 
voices, or should be unanimous 
in their verdict. He declared him- 
self decidedly in favour of the 
latter, and this opinion being con- 
curred in by all who spoke on the 
occasion, a corresponding amend- 
ment was unanimously adopted. 
The report on the bill was taken 
into discussion on March 3rd, 
when the lord chancellor said, 
that he had considered the subject 
with a view to ascertain whether 
it were possible to point out par- 
ticular cases in which it should 
be compulsory upon the judges to 
allow a trial by jury at the request 
of the parties, but that he did not 
perceive how this could at present 
be accomplished. The bill after- 
wards passed that House. In the 
Houseof Commons it was received 
with general approbation; and 
various amendments having been 
admitted, it passed into a law. 
On March 2nd, Lord Archibald 
Hamilton, after an introductory 
speech relative to the Bank, made 
the following motion: “ That a 
committee be appointed to exa- 
mine and state the total amount 
of outstanding demands upon the 
Bank of England, and of the 
funds for discharging the same ; 
and also, to examine into, and 
state their opinion upon, the effect 
produced. upon the currency and 
commercial relations of the united 
kingdoms, by the different acts 
passed since the year 1797, for 
continuing the restriction on pay- 
ments in cash by the bank of Eng- 
land, and to report their opinion 
how far, and under what limita- 
tions,’it may be expedient to con= 
tinue the same.” 
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, 
in opposing the motion, said that 
he was about to submit to the 
